Is it time the free school meals for all infant children went?

[BecomeStronger]

If I'm honest I never understood their introduction, but it's clear were facing a period of cuts as we (hopefully) come out of this crisis.

I completely support the Rashford campaign to support families in need, whatever age their children are, but to provide meals for families on good incomes when we can't afford the things we need?

The current means testing has the bar set very very very low, there are many parents that would not be eligible that struggle to afford to feed their DC and that is only going to get worse in the current climate. Many people that use food banks do not qualify for FSM.

Nutrition for children is so important!! Should a child have parents that spend money on booze, fags whatever not have the benefit of good nutrition??

We never benefited from FSM or the current free for key stage 1 but I have met a fair few people that think cheap noodles 5 days per week is an appropriate meal for their DC

If anything, I wish free school meals continued right through primary and secondary for those families on a lower income
They do. www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals

If it s so important that children are properly fed I don't understand why is doesn't follow all through school.

It non sensical to means test for older children and not younger ones.

Should a child have parents that spend money on booze, fags whatever not have the benefit of good nutrition?? or frivolous things like rent and heating

I agree blankscreen I don’t understand that either

To Pp:
Or don't use the free school meal if you feel so awful?
Our child took a packed lunch when he was in lower primary.
No one forces you to eat the meal. If you want to eat the meal and donate the coat back to the school they'd be very happy with any donations.

As in those who can pay should pay? I have no problem with that. Tbh though I think higher taxes for higher earners would be my preferred method - I think means testing the families would mean many fall through the cracks.

You can means test winter fuel allowance first!

@NotDesmondsBoat

To Pp: Or don't use the free school meal if you feel so awful? Our child took a packed lunch when he was in lower primary. No one forces you to eat the meal. If you want to eat the meal and donate the coat back to the school they'd be very happy with any donations.

Not an option in my children’s school - absolutely everyone has a school meal and all dietary requirements are accommodated. It is brilliant.

If parents who have a lot of money don't like the FSM then it's easy enough to calculate the cost and donate it to school funds. That would see actual money going into school coffers in a way that will never, ever happen if FSM's are cut.

I'd rather see them extended because there is clear evidence that they make a huge difference.

A time of economic problems, likely huge numbers of redundancies and slashed incomes is absolutely not the time to start means testing more people.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers that goes without saying!!

Some people cannot comprehend the "working poor" or that 2 adults can work full time and still be eligible for partial housing benefit because the cost of renting in the SE is so unaffordable for them many not the few!

@FelicityBob

Yes I agree they should be scrapped and means tested. We don’t receive free school meals in wales, which I believe is right. Healthy packed lunches don’t need to cost much to make.

How do you feel about the fact that your very rich countrymen and women can access free paracetamol and strepsils on prescription? The reasoning is exactly the same.

We can seemingly afford to increase our defence budget, but can’t afford to offer every school aged child a hot meal? How about all the millions that has been mismanaged over the last 8 months?

When the government says there isn’t enough money for whatever pressing issue, it’s usually that there is enough money, they’d just rather spend it elsewhere!

Wealth is no indicator that people will feed their children well, and children who are well fed and not hungry do better in school. Better to make sure all children get at least one decent meal a day. Also, children may not learn to sit at a table, eat with cutlery etc at home. No matter what their parents earn.

I do take advantage of the meals for Dd.

It doesn't mean we are squandering money on fags. A huge portion of Dh wage goes on rent. Another portion on bills. Of a 32k wage, not much is left to play with, for 3 children.

However, we don't smoke, rarely drink, don't go out.

I cook every meal from scratch with fresh ingredients from the market. My children eat very well at home. I'm also capable of making an extension healthy packed lunch, but it saves us £10 a week at the moment which is extremely helpful.

Please don't tar everyone with an awful brush that only applies to very, very few.

No, it shows young children what other children eats. A child may try something new if they see a friend eat it.

I actually think there should be free meals throughout primary for all children without an opt out clause.
It might address child hunger, child fussiness and obesity all in one hit, if done properly.

No.

Over the last year all the cracks in the welfare system that people can fall through have widened into giant crevasses. Universal benefits such as FSM for infant children help ensure that whatever a family's circumstances they have a reasonable chance of their children growing to healthy adulthood. If you want to get rid of FSM for all infants then some infants will go hungry and will have poor health for the rest of their lives.

If you feel guilty because your child is entitled to FSM but you are relatively well off then just pay it forward and donate to food banks or whatever.

I would like them to continue but I wish that schools offered the option to pay what you can to school funds - some schools have to contribute to the free school meals for KS1 out of their budget and if that is the case I would like to help meet the cost.

No it should not be scrapped.

FSM should be for all children in primary and those who DO NOT need it, should have a search in their soul and make a donation to their school for the money they will have saved. That’s what we have done.

So far I have been able to gift my school-
6 apple trees
4 football goals
10 footballs
10 basketballs
A bench
A contribution to outdoor sinks
A contribution to chrome books

We live comfortably but we are well aware that we are privileged. We feel compelled to give back. I grew up in a council house and I can recall my mum crying when my school shoes broke and she couldn’t replace them. We grew up loved but poor. No child should worry about wet cold feet.

@FelicityBob

Yes I agree they should be scrapped and means tested. We don’t receive free school meals in wales, which I believe is right. Healthy packed lunches don’t need to cost much to make.

Except that a fair amount of parent company won't know what a healthy lunch loos like.

You just have spend about of time on MN or speaking to school staff,to hear stories of kids being sent in with yesterday's fish and chips, cold happy meals, just a mars bar, a sharing bag of Doritos and a can of coke etc etc etc.

It's not as simple as lunches not needing to cost much to make.

I also think secondary school should have proper old fashioned food tech lessons, redesigned for the culture of today. I do wonder if there is a couple of generations where many have no clue of how to cook healthy and nutritional meals

@AnotherNameForChristmas

Wealth is no indicator that people will feed their children well, and children who are well fed and not hungry do better in school. Better to make sure all children get at least one decent meal a day. Also, children may not learn to sit at a table, eat with cutlery etc at home. No matter what their parents earn.

Correct. Just because someone has money,doesn't automatically make them a better parent.

We can afford, and are more than capable of making, a healthy pack lunch. Unfortunately neither dc would eat it, or rather they would delicately pick out the carbs. I'd much rather they had a free hot meal that they ate thanks to peer pressure and I give the money back somewhere else, be it school funds or food bank or whatever.

@infinitediamonds

I would like them to continue but I wish that schools offered the option to pay what you can to school funds - some schools have to contribute to the free school meals for KS1 out of their budget and if that is the case I would like to help meet the cost.

I don't know any school that would turn down a donation.

I know several schools who will also have a list of much needed items if people don't want to donate cash (last year I witnessed a Deputy Head of a primary almost hug a parent who brought in a donation of a massive pack of glue sticks just after Christmas).